Trestle



Aug. 24 1926.

V. TOLMIE TRESTLE Filed Jan. 12, 1925 PATENT OFFICE.

VERNER TOLIIE, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEEK TRESTLE.

Application filed January This invention relates particularly to suchtrestles as are used by workmen in the erection of buildings and ininterior or exterior work in buildings and such as are used for settingup temporary tables in large dining rooms and in hotel rooms for thedisplay of samples, etc.

The object of this invention is'to produce a trestle in knock-down formand interchangeable pieces and which can readily be assembled andadjusted to various lengths to adapt the trestle to be placed on vary ngfloor or platform space or boards restlng on other trestles. To thisend, the trestle structurecousists of a longitudinal member, couplingmembers adapted to be appl ed to the longitudinal member andto beshdable thereon for horizontal adjustment, and legs adapted to beengaged interchangeably 1n the couplings. Longitudinal members ofseveral lengths may be used interchangeably. Ty

1n the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trestle embodymg my improvement, partsbeing broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line, 22, of Fi 1, looking toward the right;

Fig. 3 is an upright section on the line, 3-3, ofFig. 1, looking towardthe right; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line, 4-4, of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the couplings.

Referring to said drawings, A is the main, horizontal member of thestructure. This may be any piece of wood of rectangular cross-section. Aconvenient form is the 2 by 4 inch scantling in common use. When set upedgewise, this permits making the couplings, B, in desirable form.

Each coupling, B, is composed of a sleeve, B and two socket arms, Battached to ropposite sides of the sleeve. The sleeve is rectangular incross-section, and its interior is large enough to permit easy slidingon the main member, A. For a 2by 4 inch scantling, I have made thesleeve, 2% by 4 4 inches. a

The socket arms, B are of the same cross-section as the sleeve, in orderthat each arm may receive a leg C,- of the same stock as the member, A,namely, a piece of ordinary 2 by 'l'inch scantling-ifthat size is usedfor the horizontal member. Hence this cross-section of the arms isdesirable.

pairs of legs placed thereon.

12, 1925. Serial 1,959.

The arms, B are so placed as to bring their wide faces parallel to thelength of the sleeve, whereby the slanting of the upper end of each armextends from one such wide face to the other, a distance shorterthan'would be the case if the slant were from one narrow face to theother. Thus less spread of the legs results from applying the slantingend to reach from the upper edge to the lower edge of the side face ofthe sleeve. The couplings may be formed ofsheetmetal or ofcast metal.

The end of each arm which is to be joined to the sleeve, B, is cutslanting to make-an inclined face as long as the outer side face of thesleeve. Then said slantin endis ap plied to the outer side face 0 thesleeve and secured to the sleeve by soldering or brazing or othersuitable means or method. These arms are placed in planes to which thesleeve is perpendicular and which cuts the sleeve midway between itsends. Thus the completed coupling is symmetrical.

The coupling may be placed on themember,

A, with either end of thecoupling. directed forward; and the two armsare of the same size and form and same slant, so that legs cut from 2 by4 or other'wood stock ma be placed into the socket formed by eac arm.The end of the le which enters the arm need not be slante It maybe cutat right angles to the length of the, stick. Thus either end of the legmaybe put into the socket formed by the arm. This permits cutting anynumber of legs of identical length and cross-section and using theminterchangeably. Furthermore, any number it of pieces of 2 by 4 of achosen size may be cut and used interchangeably, either end being placedto the right and either ed e being placed up. If a long trestle or nchis wanted, a long member, A, may be used and any number of couplingmember and If there is room for onlya short trestle, a short member, A,may be used and two coupling members and two pairs of legs placedthereon. In setting up these trestles or benches, the coupling membersand legs may be shifted as maybe desirableor necessary to obtain goodfooting for the legs. In building construction, boards or planks may belaid on two or more trestles to form a platform and other trestlesplaced on that platform to support another platform, and so on as highas may be needed.

ile me If temporary tables are needed, the various pieces can be broughtfrom storage and readily assembled, no attention being given to -meansfor astening the member, A, or the legs, C, in the couplin But, if sodesired, binding wedges, may be pressed into the sleeve, 13, and thearms, B, to prevent slipping of the member, A, and the leg, C, 1n thecoupling.

I claim as my invention,

In the art herein described, a metal coumemes pling comprisin ahorizontal sleeve open at each end an of rectangular parallelogram crosssection and a socket arm at each side of the sleeve and of the samecross section as the sleeve and oblique to the side faces of the sleeve,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name, this 10th' day of January,in the gear one thousand nine hundred and twenty- VERNER TOLMIE.

